One student is dead after a fight between two girls in a Detroit classroom. WKRG reports that a 16-year-old girl was stabbed to death on Wednesday morning by another teen girl in a fight over a boy at Fitzgerald High School in suburban Detroit.
Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer stated that the two girls were “straight-A students,” and the victim died after being stabbed twice in the chest by a 17-year-old girl with a steak knife. A school resource officer immediately tried to use life-saving procedures, but the victim died an hour later at a hospital. Dryer commented, “This is truly a tragedy…. This appears to be an altercation between two students and we’re investigating to determine why this occurred.”
Dwyer said the two girls knew each other beforehand and did not have a history of trouble. The 17-year-old was arrested at the scene, and authorities are seeking to charge her with murder.
The victim was involved in many school activities including the school robotics team, student council, and the marching band, in addition to running cross country.
The school was initially put on lock-down after the incident Wednesday morning, and students were released afterward. The high school will remain closed on Thursday, but students and their parents can get support and assistance from counselors, psychologists, and social workers during normal school hours.
Police: Fitzgerald High School student stabbed to death over love triangle https://t.co/oO30paNSAB @FOX2News
— Erika Erickson (@ErikaEricksontv) September 12, 2018
School officials are working with police and conducting an internal review of their safety procedures. WXYZ-TV Detroit reports that Dwyer said that metal detectors could have prevented the knife from being brought into the school. At least 20 other students were present in the classroom at the time of the stabbing. The victim’s boyfriend had previously dated the suspect, and reportedly the two girls were also once friends.
CBS News reports that Dwyer commended the school officer who tried to save the victim’s life.
“He was there administering CPR within seconds trying to save this young girl’s life. As far as the security in the school, we do everyone possible to prevent these types of tragedies, and the security is the best we can do at this time.”
Many students and residents took to Twitter to voice their shock and sadness over the incident. ClickOnDetroit reports that Fitzgerald High School has issued a statement and will host a vigil in remembrance of the victim, who has since been identified as Danyna Gibson. Police have not publicly identified the suspect, and will not release that information until her arraignment.
